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What you may not know about me is that I am a HUGE wimp. Put me in front of a horror movie, and I will basically shrivel into a screaming mass of fear. No matter the horror movie. Heck, even ones that hardly have any horror in them, like Signs. I know, I know. But, seriously, they kept swelling the music like something was going to happen, and I was constantly prepared/terrified that something would jump out at my face. Horror movies and I are not friends.

However, with books, it’s a WHOLE different story. It’s hard for me when someone asks how scary a book is, because I have no idea really. Only a couple books have legitimately freaked me out, and then it’s more the gore than anything else. I’m not a visual reader, so nothing really bothers me through this medium.

Of course, Halloween itself is pretty terrifying, what with the packs of roving children, expecting me to share my Milky Way Midnights with them. I mean, come on, kids! This is what your parents are for! Go wheedle candy out of them! Here’s a secret: if they spent the money on your costume on candy for you, you’d probably have gotten more, and none of it would have been the gross kind that nobody wants.

Still, even though I can buy my own candy now, it’s rather sad not to have that thrill for Halloween anymore. I miss the sheer thrill of that bag of candy in my hand, even if my costumes were almost always lame. Though I did think I was awesome the year (1996, when the Olympics came to Atlanta) I wore my Olympic windbreaker pants and jacket to go as an Olympic athlete, which is just laughable because I so unship me and sports.

Happy Halloween, and may you read many creepy books (or not if you’re like me and creepy books don’t bother you)! Might I recommend something both hilarious and creepy (aka how I think of Halloween), like Velveteen by Daniel Marks?

16 responses to “Reading Horror Novels with Great Imaginations”

Mmmmm candy. And you have great taste, because Milky Night Midnights are the best kind of Milky Ways. Even though I can’t go trick-or-treating anymore (and who made up the stupid age limit anyway?) I always go to my best friends every year and steal all her leftover candy because she gets the good stuff.

And ahhhh Velveteen. I’ve been curious about that book for a while but didn’t think I knew anybody who’d heard of or read it. My only worry about it is that I am super squeamish and I do have difficulties reading things that are graphically violent so I’m not sure if I’d be able to handle it.Angie recently posted…Waiting on Wednesday: Infinite by Jodi Meadows

Milky Way Midnights are so delicious. They’re one of the few candies that still tastes good to me, as I’ve been spoiled for cheap chocolate. Dark chocolate makes all the difference. I don’t know. The age limit must be so that there’s someone there to give out the candy, but I want to GET the candy, not pass it out. *sighs*

Hmm, I would advise you, but I’m really not easy to squick out with books. In real life, though, I could hardly even be in the room during biology labs.

I like hilarious scary books too. I haven’t read Velveteen because the blurb kind of bored me, tbh. My best costume was dressing up as Dorothy from the Wizard of Oz. I had a basket, a dog, and ruby slippers that I made myself.

I’m the same, books don’t generally scare me but movie’s do. As a result, I love creepy books. If we’re recommending Halloween books, I’m sure you will not be surprised to see me recommend that EVERYBODY READ FEED. It is filled with zombies, politics, road trips and blogging. It’s creepy as hell and absolutely amazing. So amazing, I’m going to use shouty caps again: READ FEED RIGHT NOW. Please and thank you.

Sidebar, The Faculty gif! YES! I loved that movie (still love, though now more because I enjoy laughing at its horribleness) To this day, the part where Josh Hartnett rips the handle off of the paper cutter and uses it like a machete is one of my favorite movie moments ever. When the zombies come I hope I get a chance to do that.

See, I grew up watching classic AND cheesy horror films with my dad so now it’s in my blood (so-to-speak). There’s just something about being on the edge of your seat, peeking out from behind your hands and the cringing away from the screen that gives me such a rush. I LIVE for the stuff bow which probably explains why Halloween is my favourite time of year (because of that and the costumes and the candy, of course!).

As far as scary books go… I don’t scare easily and it’s much more difficult for a book to creep me out in the way a movie would. I’d have to say, the last book that sufficiently scared me was probably Guillermo del Toro’s “The Strain” and mostly because the scary intro was so subtle. Creepiest thing EVER.Nikki @ Foil the Plot recently posted…TGIF / 35

Oooh, yeah, my parents don’t do horror either, so that could be why I’m so unable to deal with it. I can watch some of the really terrible ones, the kinds that would be at home on MST3K because the effects are just so bad, but mostly no.

The Strain was creepy, but it was mostly too weird and I didn’t care about anyone, so I DNFed. I think the most creeped out I’ve been was American Psycho, but mostly just because the descriptions were eugh. Antigoddess did a good job with that too.

UGH. I do not do the scary books. I freak out too easily since I AM a visual reader with a strange imagination. Though, when I went and read Anna Dressed in Blood, I was not terrified like everyone said I would be. (GoN did have a chilling scene though.)

I love Milky Way Midnights! Thank goodness no one else in my house likes dark chocolate. I hate, HATE giving out candy to kids. It definitely helps that I live on a really old street so our street is always dead on Halloween.

I love scary books big time. I am not really into the scary movie thing though. I’ll watch The Shinning and The Sixth Sense and The Others but that’s pretty much IT.Alexia @ Adventures in Reading recently posted…Book Blogger Challenge-Week 7

Yes, this sounds like me! I’m SO scared when it comes to movies and they always give me nightmares. Those scenes with tense music and you know something is going to happen and it just doesn’t happen, ahhh, hate that. I rarely watch them, but books can’t be scary enough. I love gory details, haha.Mel@thedailyprophecy recently posted…Would you rather? October edition

Totally agree about the candy thing. And to me the only Milky Ways worth eating are the midnight ones (I’m sort of a snot when it comes to chocolate, I’ll eat dark). The sad thing is I give out the candy now and usually take out the good stuff. I also am a bit incline to give the little kids more than the college kids who just wear a mask more candy too.

As for horror books and movies, I watched some Hitchcock films when I was younger and after viewing Psycho I haven’t really been able to watch a traditional horror movie. Books are different though because I think you can sort of censor the imagery in your head a bit. Unless the writer writes really vivid descriptions like Kendare Blake.MJ recently posted…Judge a Book By Its Cover: Turkeys

I’m exactly like you. As soon as I hear creepy music (in any movie or TV show) I get immediately freaked out and panicked about what’s going to happen. I actually think Halloween is really awesome. Sure parents pay for costumes when they could just buy the candy instead but that takes the fun out of it. Halloween is fun for kids because they get to dress up as whatever they want and ask strangers for candy without fear. And don’t forget all the candy swapping afterwords. I don’t really like creepy books either except I’m a visual reader so when I read Antigoddess by Kendra Blake, I imagined feathers growing in my body and ahh that was terrible. Wow sorry for forcing you to read this really long comment. Anyway, thanks for sharing 🙂Shelly recently posted…Short Story Review: Lilleth

I never watched Signs as well. I am a HUGE horror wimp as well. I just do not get the whole scary movie thing – life is a pretty horrible event. I do not need to seek out more things to scare me. I am a bit wobbly on scary books. I do love my realism from time to time, but I am a fluff reader. I like things to be somewhat happier in the end.

I love Halloween, though I find that some kids just don’t put the effort into it like we used to when we were young …

I looooove candy. I actually can’t wait until I can take my little one out trick or treating so we get a variety of candy to choose from (since baby won’t be able to eat it that first Halloween!). Is that working the system? I’d like to say I’m just getting back at all those OTHER people after years of handing out candy to THEIR kids.

I love a good scary read, too! But I wish there were more scary books out there … I’m a wimp when it comes to movies, but not books.